Internet of Things (IoT) is a network of devices (“connected device”) communicatively connected to exchange information with host devices and/or with each other. The connected devices may include, for example, remote sensors, cameras and other monitoring devices installed at various locations in buildings, homes, factories, roads, etc., to collect data characterizing various conditions such as temperature, operating pressure, traffic conditions, etc., and to provide the data, via a communication network, to one or more host devices, for example for analysis of the data by the one or more host devices. Further, in some applications, the connected devices may include control devices, such as actuators. In such applications, a host device may transmit instructions via a communication network to the connected device to cause the connected device to perform a desired function, such as to change a thermostat setting, to adjust a valve, to adjust lighting, for example. In order to communicate with another device (e.g., a host device) over the network, a connected device typically needs to first authenticate itself on the network and establish a connection with the other device on the network. Once a connected device has been authenticated on the network, and a connection with a host device has been established, the connected device may transmit collected data to the host device over the network and/or may receive instructions from the host device over the network.
Operation of connected devices and data collected by the connected devices are often sensitive to security breaches and hacking. Moreover, because the connected devices are often located in remote locations and are generally unmanned, such devices may become subject to physical tempering by unwanted parties. Thus, ability to securely operate such connected device and to securely store and transmit data collected by the connected device is needed. On the other hand, to make the connected devices more attractive to consumers, the there is a need for the connected devices to be small in size, low in power consumption, and cost-efficient.